Electrical apparatus.



T. A. G. BOTH.

I ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.'8, 1910. 1,101,055. A Patented June 23,1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES 1 M L T' wc. flfa if. M B

/UTOR/VEY T. A. C. BOTH.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1910.

1,101,055,. Patented June 23, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES 29 T. A. O. BOTH.

' ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1910. 1,101,055. A Patented June23, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

a ac AMI WITNESSES 'uNITED STATES rnrsnr OFFICE.

TONJES AUGUST CARL BOTH, OF

"NEW YORKIN. Y., AssieNoR 'ro IDA s. nosmvnnm, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL Arrmarus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 8,1910. Seria1No.591,24l. j

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TONJES AUGUST CARL Born, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thesame.

This invention relates *to electrical apparatus and more particularly toflush receptacles and to parts thereof and is an improvement upon U. S.Patent 891,263 granted June 23, 1908 to Ralph A.. Schoenberg as theassignee of Charles J. Klein.

My invention relates more particularly to the complete-flushreceptacleand to the face plate as a separate article of manufacture and todetails of construction which will be hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims. 4

It is well known in this artthat flush receptacles are usually used inconjunction with an outlet box which is immovably secured inthe walls ofa building and around the mouth of which the plaster is flushed. Myflush receptacle is ordinarily meant to be mounted lwithin such anoutlet box so that its face plate or escutcheon will lie flat upon thewall and give a neat andattractive appearance. But it is to bedistinctly understood that my flush receptacle need not be used withsuch an outlet box, but on the contrary it may be held in the wall inany suitable manner. I

My invention further covers the face plate which" may 1 e used with myreceptacle or with any other suitable one.

In the accompanying drawings showing an illustrative embodiment of myinvention and in which the same reference numerals refer to similarparts in the several Ifigures, Figure 1 is a vertical section throughthe receptacle and the plug; Fig.2 is a horizontal section substantiallyon the line 24-2 of Fig.

l, with theomissi'on of the plug, looln'ng down in the direction oft-hearrows; a portion ofgthe receptacle being shown. in side elevation; Fig.3 is a reverseplan view of 4 the face plate to be used with a singleplug;

Fig; 4 is a detail plan view 'of the box or receptacle' showing -t epreferred form of contacts, the face p ate and plug being omitted; Fig.5 adetail perspective view of oneof the shutters or doors; Fig. 6 is adetail perspective view of a portion of one of the contacts; Fig. 7 is adetail perspective viewof one of the contacts which may be usedseparately or in conjunction-with the contact shown in Fig. 6'; Fig. 8is a detail fragmentary sectional view of the receptacle, the contactbeing shown in plan; Fig. 9 is a sectional view through a portion of thereceptacle, illustrating'in plan a modified form of contact; Fig. 10 isa vertical section through the modified form of contact shown in Fig. 9on line 1010; Fig. 11 is a side-elevation of a plug; Fig. 12 is a detailperspective view of the pivot plate; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of anoutlet box and a modified form of face plate to accommodate two plugs;Fig. 14 is a plan view of the flush receptacle used in the constructionshown in Fig. 13, the face plate being omitted; and Fig. 15 is avertical section on.

invention shown in the drawing, 1 is a ush PatentedJune 28,1914.

receptacle including .a box or receptacle 2 and a face-plate 3. Thisreceptacle 2 may be given various shapes and contours, but pref-.

erably I form it of minimum thickness or depthso as to require a verysmall opening in the wall or a very 's-inall outlet box to receive it.'This is particularly advantageous where it is necessary to chisel awayany brick or masonry to position it, or to receive the outlet box inwhich it is ordinarily mounted by means of the ears 4, 4 Which aresecured to the receptacle 2 in any manner such as by means of the screws5, 5.

passing through the slots 6, 6 their heads impinging and binding uponthe surface of the ears 4, 4, as is well known in the art.

The receptacle 2 is preferably formed of porcelain or some otherinsulating-material screws or other fastening means, not shown,

and is provided with a recess 7 which is preferably, though notnecessarily, divided into substantially two equal portions b means of. awall 8 so as to permit the di ferent electrical contacts 9 to be mountedin separate compartments of the recess 7 and be insulated fro ach other.These contacts are a portion of my invention." They c0i 1sistessentially of a spring contact 10 spring arms 13, 13 which, near theirends,

are formed into the semi-circular portions 14, 14, each semi-circularportion being pro-.

vided with a semi-circular inturned flange 15 leaving an opening 16between them for the reception of the shank 17 of the studs 18 mountedon the plug.19. These studs are preferably provided with a substantiallyspherical end .39. The upper surfaces 20, 20 of the spherical end areadapted to lie beneath the inturned semi-circular flanges 15, 15 of thecontact 10 and .be firmly gripped by said flanges. I preferably make theshank 17 comparatively small in cross section to .permit the plug 19with its studs 18 to have an angular movement within the hemisphericalends 14, 14 of the spring contact without permitting the inturned edgesof the flanges 15, 15 contacting with the shank 17. This avoids thenecessity of placing any insulation around the studs 18, 18, therebysaving that expense and also. the. expense of the necessary laborincident thereto. These sprin contacts 10' may be used alone as shown orexample in Fig; 8,

'or they may be used in conjunction with the vintermediate contact 21,Fig. 6, having a bent stem 22 and a cup shaped end 23. If theintermediate contact member 21 is used its apertured base 24, -Fi 1 and6, is mounted onthe ridge 25 which is preferably formed integral with.the box or receptacle 2. Over the base 24 is dropped the contact 10, thebinding plate 26 being then mounted above the body member 11 of thecontact 10 when all the parts, including the binding plate 26, aresecured to each other and to the insulating receptacle 2 by means of thescrew 27, or any other suitable securing means. On the binding plates26, '26 are mounted the'binding screws 28, 28.

When the intermediate contact 21 is used, it will be seen that the heads39 of the studs 18 will make electrical connection not only with theinturned substantially semi-circular flanges 15, 15 .of the contacts 10,but in addition thereto withthe intermediate contact 21, the bent springarm 22 serving to force the cupsha'ped member 3 up into. a

osition where it will be forced downward y the'head 39 of the stud 18,when the plug 19 is connected to the flush receptacle. In

some cases I may use a contact formed'out of a sin 1e cup shaped member29, Figs. 9 and- 10 aving its edges slotted at 30, 30.

' It is, of course, .to be understood that different feed wires'areconnected to the respective binding screws 28, 28. With this receptacle1 use an improved face plate having a peculiar arrangement of pivotedshutceptacles than that shown in my present application and that myinvention covers this face plate as an article of manufacture whereverused, and whether provided with apertures and pivoted doors or shuttersfor one (Fig. 3) or a plurality of plugs, Fig. 13.

The face plate 3 includes a cover or .escutcheon plate 32, a pivotingplate 33, the ivoted shutters or doors 34, 34 and means or normallykeeping them closed, together with suitable insulation. The cover plate32 may be given any suitable shape or config-- uration to cover anysuitable opening or receptacle and may be ornamented in any suitablemanner. Preferably it is made of metal and provided with one or more,preferably two, or multiples thereof, apertures 35, 35 beneath which-ismounted the pivotin plate 33 which is provided with a plura ity ofdepressions 36, 36 for the reception of the trunnions 37, "37 of thepivoted shutters or doors 34, two such shutters or doors being used toclose each openin 35 t'ers are so formed that when the end 39 of thestuds 18, or any other suitable members.

edges 38, 38 the doors automatically swing outwardly upon the trunnions37, 37 rest ng in the depressions 36, 36 in the plvoting plate 33 andpermit the stud to contact witlL/ the electrical contacts .jcarrie'd bythe receptacle 2, or any other receptacle, or if not to make anelectrical connection, then to perform any othersuitable function thatmay be desired.- This pivotin plate 33 is also provided with downwar yextending lugs 49, .49, Fig. 3 and also preferably though notnecessarily, with downwardly extending teeth 40, 40. The lugs 49 supportthe spring members 41 in any suitable man- 'ner and these spring membersnormally close the shutters 34, 34, and protect the *cOntacts intheflush'receptacle as well as prevent dust and foreign substances lodinthe receptacle. I preferably form t ese lugs 49 with small slots oropenings 42 42 for the reception of the bent ring mem "as 41, 41, thearms 43, 43 of t e springs 00- operating in any suitable manner with thepivotedshutters'or doors 34 so as to 'norformed in various ways. I havefound inpractice that a chea and economical man her of connecting t emis by forming an arm 44 on the shutter or door to contact withone end 43of the spring member 41' which is formofathinwire.

Between the cover plate 32 and the pivoting plate 33 I mount anysuitable insulation, preferably in the form of an insulating diskv 45. Ialso preferably, though not "necessa-- rily, use a second insulatin disk46 to cover of the .cover plate 32. These doors or s utto be inserted ispressed on their bottom ioo mally close them., This connection maybepreferably, though not nrily, in' the the pivoting plate 33, sai platelying beigioaoae The downwardly extending teeth 40 of the pivoting plate33 are received in openings 48 in the insulated plate 46 and serve topreerably extend it into the apertures 35, Figs.

vent relative movement between the two. The pivoting plate with one orboth of the insulating disks is then secured to a cover plate 32 in anysuitable manner. A very economical) way of securing them together andone which addsto the appearance of the complete face plate 3, is to formone or more additional openings 149, 149 in the cover plate 32 andwithin this member mount a hollow rivet 50, which serves to secure allmembers of' the face plate 3 together. Through the hollow rivets50, whenit is desired to secure the face plate 3 to a receptacle such as 2, Ipass one or more screws or other securing means 51 which cotiperate withthe screw threaded apertures'52 in the ends of the ears 4.

In mounting the insulating disk 45 I pref- 1 and 2 slightly as at 75 toinsure the insulation of the pivoted doors or shutters 34 in whateverposition they may assume; and also to prevent the studs 18 making anelectrical connection, or short" circuit, through the cover plate 32,even though the plug 19 is separated from the face plate 3 by an angularseparation due to an angular pull'or blow at an angle to the planeconnecting the contacts and studs.

My invention also includes a single flush receptacle adapted toaccommodate a pluralityof plugs, as for example plugs 19, and a faceplate having a plurality of sets of openings to receive the studs fromtwo or more plugs at the same time, thereby permitting two difi'erentconsuming devices to be connected to the contacts in a single flushreceptacle at one and the same time. It is often desirable, for example,to use "a bed side light and an electric water heater at the same time.When the flush receptacle has a face plate with only one set of openingsand one set of electrical connections it-is obviously necessary, forexample, to disconnect the plug 19 which may be connected to the bedside light while another plug 19, connected to the hot water heater, isinserted in the flush receptacle; which, in this case,

would require the user to operate the heater 1 in the dark. Or, again,it is often desirable to use at the same time an electric fan and aportable lamp; or, as in a restaurant, to connect at t-he same time afixed fan with a portable dining table lamp, and numerous other examplescould be given.

To avoid the additional expense and cum- "bersomenessoflocating twoseparate outlet boxes at a given location, each with its sepalrate'flush receptacle; or, to install a gang or tandem outlet-box to receivetwo separate flush receptacles, and to avoid the necessity ;ofseparately wiring each outlet box or each {flush receptacle, I combinein one flush reiceptacle two sets of contacts for two or more lplugs,thereby saving expense of installa .Etion, preventing the wall frombeing marred by a plurality of face plates, and greatly increase theconvenience of the flush receptacle and the range of different consumingdevices which can be used at the same time.

i In my invention I may use a single outlet gbox 55 which is built intoor connected to the wall in the usual, or any approved manner, andWithin this I mount a single receptacle 56 provided with a single faceplate 57 hav- .ing a plurality of openings 58, 58 and 59, 59'registering with different arms 60, 62 and 61 and 63. Arms 60 and 61are preferably .formed out of a single piece of metal and ;form thecontact 64 while the similar contact 65 includes spring arms 62 and 63.The contact 64 is connected to the binding plate 66 Fon which is mountedthe binding screw 67 while the similar binding plate 68 having :thebinding screw 69 is connected to the con Ztact 65. The contacts andbinding plates are secured together and to the receptacle '56 iby thescrews 70. It is therefore apparent that to each of the feed wires 71and 72 two Tcontacts are connected, so that in the single jflushreceptacle two sets of contacts are formed to permit two plugs 19 tocoi'iperate with the single face plate forming a part of the singleflush receptacle 56, to the contacts of which are connected the one setof feed wires 71 and 72. In using the plugs it, of course, is understoodthat one plug will cooperate with the contacts 60 and 62, while theother, if two are used at the same time, will coiiperate with thecontacts 61 and 63. Each of the apertures 58 and 59 in the face plate 57is closed by two pivoted shutters 34 mounted on a pivoting plate 73 withinsulating disks 45 and 46 in substantially the same manner as in theconstruct-ion shown in ig- 8. Q I

Having thus described this invention in connection with severalillustrative embodiments thereof to the details of which I do .notdesire to be limited, what is claimed as new and what it is desired tosecure by Letters'Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. In a flush receptacle the combination of a fixed insulatingreceptacle, electrical contacts mounted in the receptacle, an aperturedface plate, pivoted doors or shutters closing said apertures and openingoutwardly, a plug having a fulcrum bearing surface co6perating with theface plate, and means including the electrical contacts -mounted in thereceptacle and studs carried iby the plug permitting the plug to be sep3. The combination of a fixed flush receptacle including a face platehaving pivoted shutters operated by the plug, and electrical connectinmeans carried by the plug and by the flus receptacle, a plug having afulcrum bearing surface cooperating with the face plate permitting astraight or angular separation of the plug with relation to thereceptacle,

4. In a flush receptacle the combination of an insulating base orreceptacle provided with electrical contacts, a face plate provided witha separate pivoting plate, and outwardly opening pivoted doors orshutters having means to cooperate with the pivoting plate and aninsulating disk mounted between the face plate and the pivoting plate.

5. In a flush receptacle the combination of an insulatin base orreceptacle provided with electrical contacts, a face plate provided witha separate pivoting plate having depressions, outwardly opening pivoteddoors or shutters, and means carried by the shutters or doors tocooperate with the depressions in the pivoting plate and an insulatingdisk mounted between the face plate and the pivoting plate.

6. In a flush receptacle .the combination of an insulating box orreceptacle provided with electrical contacts, a cover plate, a separatepivoting plate carried by the cover plate, outwardly opening pivotedshutters or doors having means to cooperate with the pivoting -plate,anda spring carried by the pivoting plate and adapted to normally close theoutwardly moving shutters or doors and an insulating disk mountedbetween the cover plate and the pivoting plate.

7 A face plate as an article of manufacture comprising a cover platehaving apertures, a separate pivoting plate secured to the cover plateand provided with depressions, and a plurality of outwardly openingshutters or doors provided with laterally extending supporting means tobe loosely mounted in the depressions in the pivoting plate and aninsulating disk mounted between the face plate and the pivoting plate.

8. A face plate as an article of manufacture comprising a cover platehaving aper= tures, a separate pivoting'plate secured to the cover,plate and provided with depressions, and a plurality of outwardlyopening mounted between the face plate and the pivoting plate.

9. A face plate as an article of manufacture comprising a cover platehaving apertures, a separate pivoting plate secured to the cover plateand provided with depressions and with one or more downwardly extendinglugs, a spring carried by the lug or lugs and normally closing theshutters, a plurality of outwardly opening shutters or doors providedwith, trunnions to be loosely mounted in the depressions in the pivotingplate and an insulating disk mounted between the face plate andthepivoting plate. 1

10. As an article of manufacture a face plate including an aperturedcover plate, a pivoting plate provided with depressions, an interposedinsulating disk between the cover plate and the pivoting plate, aplurality of pivoting shutters or doors provided with laterallyextending means to rest loosely in the depressions in the pivotingplate, and means to normally close the doors.

11. As an article of manufacture a face plate including an aperturedcover plate, a pivoting plate provided with depressions, an interposedinsulating disk between the cover plate and the pivoting plate, aplurality of pivoting shutters or doors provided with laterallyextending means to rest loosely in the depressions in the pivotingplate, means to normally close the doors and a second insulating disk,the pivoting plate being secured between the two insulating disks.

12. A face plate as an article of manufacture comprising an aperturedcover plate, a pivoting plate provided with a plurality of depressionsand with one or more downwardly extending lugs, an interposed insulatingdisk between the cover plate and the pivoting plate, a plurality ofoutwardly 13. A face plate as an article of manufacture comprising anapertured cover plate, a pivoting plate provided with a plurality ofdepressions and with one or more downwardly extending lugs, aninterposed insulating disk between the cover plate and the pivotingplate, a plurality of outwardly opening doors or shutters havingtrunnions loosely mounted in the depressions in the pivoting plate,a'second insulating disk, and one or more springs carried by thedownwardly extending lugs, the ends of the spring being adapted tocooperate with the coiiperating surfaces carried by the outwardlyopening-shutters or doors to normally close them, and hollow rivetsconnecting the insulating disks and pivoting plate to the cover plate.

14. A face plate as an article of manufacture provided with apertures, apivoting plate provided with depressi0ns,.a plurality of outwardlyopening shutters or doors having laterally extending means to normallyrest in the depressions'in ihe faceplate and means toinsulatetheinsulating doors or shutters from the cover plate in allposia tions which the doors or shutters may as same so as to preventshort circuiting through the cover plate.

15. As an article of manufacture a pivoting plate provided withaplurality of depressions to form pivoting surfaces and with one or moreoutwardly extending lugs.

16. As an article of manufacture a pivoting plate provided with aplurality of depressions to form pivoting surfaces and with one or moreoutwardly extending lugs and with one or more outwardly extending teeth.

roams AUGUST CARL BOTH.

Vitnesses:

ABRAHAM L. BUSH, BENJ. STRAUSS.

